To Embrace The Past, To Change The Future
by Bitsar
Summary: No one can escape time; it delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes. Minato knows this from experience, his world changed by one moment ten years ago. When he is granted the power to change his fate, how will he react? A retelling of the events of Persona 3 with multiple changes to events and social links. Rate and Review!
1. The Start of it All

_Hey there! Welcome to my first (published) fanfic. This will be a sort-of retelling of the events of Persona 3, but I plan on changing a good portion of it. I know that sounds fairly vague, but all will become clearer in due time. I'll be changing up certain social links, adding new ones, etc. Again, this is my first time publishing a fanfic I've written, so any criticism is welcome to help me improve. I apologize if this chapter is fairly short, but the rest of the chapters will be much longer. Anyway, thank you for viewing the story, and have a great day!_

 _~Bitsar_

* * *

 _April 7th, 2009_

"Last stop: Iwatodai Station. All passengers grab your belongings and prepare to depart."  
Minato took off his headset and sighed as he stared out into the beautifully lit night. He had been transferred to Iwatodai for his senior year by his grandfather, despite his protests. His grandfather wouldn't hear any of it, stating this was a "safer" option for him. He had become so protective since the accident ten years ago.

Ten years…

He glanced up at the ceiling to reflect back. Had it truly been ten years? It still seemed so recent to him, watching his world crumble around him. His grandfather and cousin would often make remarks on how distant he had become. Then again, what did they know? It's not like any amount of sympathy or pity will change the past. Another part of how he hated to transfer schools once again came rushing back. All the pity thrown his way. Teachers would treat him like he was something extraordinary, yet he knew what their reason was.

The train slowed gradually until its stop. Minato picked up his duffle bag while putting his headset back on. He glanced briefly at his watch.  
 _11:58 PM_

"It's almost time again." Minato muttered to himself. He allowed himself to walk off the train and towards the address his grandfather had prompted him to go to upon his arrival. He would have to attend school straight away, so he would most likely unpack tomorrow. "That would be the most wise course of action, based on how late it is." The voice in his mind replied to his own thoughts. The voice that always accompanied him. It would respond to him, even prompt him rarely, but could never answer questions regarding its own appearance. It would sound…hurt.

Minato stopped abruptly as his vision blurred slightly before refocusing. The moon had turned a sickly green color, and every pool of water from the small downpour Iwatodai had received had turned into blood. Blood seemed to pour from everywhere, Minato noted.

"So it follows me to even here. Looks like everyone is stuck in their coffins today as well. Poor them, they don't get a view of this beauty." Minato said distantly as he glanced towards the moon, just close to being full.

 _"It would be best if we continued our trek towards the dorm, it seems to be an hour's worth of walking, we should get there just as the hour ends, and time resumes."_ The voice prompted. Minato simply nodded his head and continued towards the address he had memorized.

* * *

As the hour ended, Minato arrived at a large, rectangular building, which he assumed was his dorm. He walked up the small steps, and forced open the double doors. He waited briefly to adjust to the brightly lit room, before once again removing his headset.

"Welcome. I have waited a long time, you know."

Minato tensed as he looked towards his left to see a small child sitting cross-legged on the counter. He had blue eyes similar to Minato's, yet they were not as pale. He also seemed to wear something akin to a prisoner's uniform, as his pants and shirt were adorned with black and white stripes.

"Now then, I have a contract for you to sign right here." The child said eerily as he gifted Minato a pen before opening a small book. "It isn't anything too binding, so don't worry. It simply states that you will take full responsibility for your actions, the normal stuff."

Minato took the pen lazily as he wrote his full name; Minato Arisato. He closed the small book before handing it over to the creepy child.

"Thank you very much." He smiled. "You can't escape time, it delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes. It all begins here, and sadly, it appears you have one year. Although, you seem quite capable, maybe you can change that?" The boy seemed to tilt his head in wonder before shaking it and fading into the shadow behind Minato. He shrugged it off as a hallucination, he hadn't gotten a decent night's rest for a while after all. He glanced lazily at the stairs as he reached down for his duffle bag.

"Who's there?" a high voice shrieked. Darting down the stairs came a brown-haired girl in a pink striped shirt and a small skirt, which Minato noted to be the school uniform. She glared at him, before reaching to her hip-  
"She appears to be armed and hostile. It would be best to attempt to diffuse the situation, although she seems shaky." The voice in his head advised. Minato expression never changed throughout everything, as he followed what little advice that was given to him.  
"Hey, I-"

"Takeba!" another voice yelled from up the stairs before Minato could explain himself. A redhead with perfect posture walked down the stairs, wearing a white shirt and a small skirt, and was similarly armed with what appears to be a hand-gun. "He is the transfer student we were told about, he means no harm. I apologize for the improper introduction, I am Mitsuru Kirijo a senior, and you seem to now be acquainted with Yukari Takeba, a junior attending the same school as you could guess."

"S-sorry Mitsuru-senpai." Yukari flinched before moving her hand away from her holster slowly. Minato simply sighed at the strange turn of events.

"Minato Arisato is my name. If there was protocol to obtain a gun before coming here, I was not notified, and I would advise not pointing that at another student."

Yukari seemed to blanch at his words, before apologizing. "T-there was no protocol for a gun, this is uh…"

"A hobby, there is a decent shooting range near the police station down at the mall. It's good practice for self-defense." Mitsuru quickly cut in. Minato considered her words, before nodding and picking up his bag. "Yukari, would you guide him to his room? We are currently in the middle of transferring him to the boy's dorm, so he will remain here until further notice."

"Gladly!" Yukari smiled for the first time tonight, before waving her hands towards the stairs. "Follow me. The dorm is co-ed, but genders are separated based on the floors. You are on the third floor at the end of the room." Minato nodded once more before following her up the stairs.

"Here is your room! Any questions?"

Minato blinked twice before he opened his mouth. "I assume you all have signed that contract?"

"What contract? There was no contract for any of us here, are you sure you are okay? This has been a long night, I apologize for that. School begins tomorrow morning, so be ready." Yukari waved before heading towards the stairs and to her own room.

Minato inserted the key into the door and opened it, seeing his room had simple accommodations, being a bed, a TV, a microwave, a sink with a mirror, and a closet. He set down his duffle bag before staring out the window, noting the large looking building in the distance. "The school most likely." He noted, before taking out his sheets and placing them on the bed. That night, he quickly drifted to sleep.

* * *

"So what is the plan for Minato-senpai?" Yukari asked. She was in a large room with Mitsuru and a gray-haired man with tape lining his hands.

"We plan to monitor him through tonight and tomorrow, he seems to have the potential, but we cannot be sure until we see evidence." Mitsuru responded, arms crossed in thought.

"He seems quite well built, I wonder if he would enjoy the boxing team?" The gray haired man wondered aloud.

"Akihiko-senpai, there are more important things to worry about…"

"Takeba is right. Besides, we have no idea when the next large one will show its face, we need to be on guard."

"It was just a question, no need to get so worked up!"

"Sometimes I wonder if you are ever serious about this, Akihiko-senpai…"


	2. The Awakening

_Welcome back! I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with my extremely short first chapter. Also, thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story, it really helps give any writer more enthusiasm to continue. I'd like to clear up a few things as well, since my explanation was pretty poor to start._

 _For one, I'm actually making Minato a senior year in this fic, and there's a few reasons for that. For one, anyone who has played Persona 3 knows most of what is going on in class, and this allows me to actually focus a bit more on Akihiko and Mitsuru throughout the story. Junpei and Yukari were the main "friends" Minato had throughout the game, and you got to know them more than the others because of them being in your grade. I'd like to separate a bit from the original in those terms to make the work a little more original (despite this is a fanfic and not characters I myself created). Another reason I did this was to actually make fun of myself. When I first played Persona 3, i had originally thought Minato was a Senior, and I thought Yu Narukami from Persona 4 was a Junior. Obviously that is incorrect, and I'm using this as a reminder of my little blunder back then._

 _Second, I will try to keep a steady schedule going with this fic. I do plan on starting another fic (not Persona) somewhere in between, but for now I will try to keep a steady schedule of a chapter every week or two._

 _Another thing I would like to talk about is what I'm changing. Obviously I can't tell you EXACTLY what I'm changing because that pretty much ruins the whole point of this fic, but I am deviating away from the events in the original just a bit. By that I mean character interactions, conclusions, etc. Again i realize this is incredibly vague, but I'm trying to explain this to the best of my ability without spoiling everything._

 _Another thing I'm trying to work on is having longer scenes in one area. Persona likes to jump scenes a ton, so I find that these earlier chapters may have shorter scenes because of that. Just a thing I'm trying to work on as a writer._

 _ANYWAY, That's all I have to say for now. Be sure to leave a review, and favorite + follow if you enjoy it! If you have any questions be sure to leave them at the bottom of your review, and I'll attempt to answer them in my next Author's note. Enjoy!_

 _Also yes I noticed how common the naming for this fic was, I'm terrible at names :/_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any character within these fanfics. They are property of Atlus._

 _Note: Sorry this took so long, I was having trouble with the site, and I haven't slept in a bit. Also, I will be going back and doing edits on any spelling errors I may have made._

* * *

The next day…

"Minato-senpai, are you awake?

"Yes, let me get the door."

Minato groggily trotted over to the door after responding to Yukari. Last night's events didn't settle well, leaving him pining for more sleep.

"Good Morning! Mitsuru-senpai asked me to—"started Yukari before glancing around Minato's room seeing what he had set up. Hanging above his bed were 3 sword racks, each supporting a different type of sword: a simple long-sword, a Large katana, and a rapier, each put one above the other in perfect symmetry. Next to his bed hung two pairs of boxing gloves on a small rack near his closet, while figurines lined his desk and shelves. Next to the figurines lay a box of different sized knives with a small board protruding from the box saying "replicas". Minato noticed her confusion.

"I have a habit of collecting weapons, and I heard there was a boxing team available at Gekkoukan so I made sure to touch up on my technique before coming here." He answered matter-of-factly.

Yukari seemed startled at the least. In the event of an issue, he was certainly prepared…

"R-right. Anyway, Mitsuru-senpai asked me to escort you to the school. It's getting late, do you want to head out?" Minato responded with a simple nod as he locked the door behind him.

* * *

"Here it is, Gekkoukan High School, I hope you enjoy your time!"

Minato glanced lazily at the large building from beyond the walkway, which he noted with a satisfied expression that the larger building was indeed the school as he had assumed. He had barely been able to make out what Yukari had said beyond his headset, as it was blasting its usual soundtrack. Yukari guided Minato in before stopping at the lockers. "You should be able to find everything from here. The boards should tell you what class you are in, but I would stop by the faculty office to the left before heading to class, you did just transfer in after all. Since I'm a grade below you, you will most likely have a class with Mitsuru-senpai instead of me. Also, please don't tell anyone about last night." She said worriedly at the last part before walking off. Minato mulled over her words as he started towards the faculty office.

He had passed some…unusual characters on his way. Teachers complaining about their jobs, one teacher wore an old samurai helmet while animatedly talking to another foreign exchange student holding a fan, and some teacher in a lab coat mixing together some chemicals while smiling gleefully. The School wasn't short of any weirdos, that's for sure. He pushed open the doors to find a teacher with brown hair standing there smiling.

"Ah, there you are, you must be the new student; Minato Arisato, 12th grade?" He nodded at her words. "Great! I have your previous records right here. In 1999, your parents—"She gasped before quickly shutting the book. Minato's expression didn't change, but felt a wave of anguish before quickly smothering the feeling. "I-I apologize, I hadn't had time to read your record previously. I'm Ms. Toriumi, you will be in room 3-F, which is my homeroom class. I teach composition, welcome!" she greeted under a tone of worry after her previous blunder. "I would attend the gymnasium first though, there will be an opening ceremony everyone is going to."  
Minato nodded before moving towards the door. He left, but not before hearing a soft thud and the muttering of Ms. Toriumi. "I just meet the kid, and that's one of the first things I say, way to go Toriumi, way to go." Minato smirked and chuckled softly before motioning towards the gymnasium.

* * *

Minato took a seat with Ms. Toriumi's class in the gymnasium, and ended up sitting next to a gray-haired man who seemed to have a group of girls following him. As he sat down, the man smiled at him.

"Hey, you attend the same dorm as me, correct, the Co-ed dorm?" The man prompted. Minato raised an eyebrow at how he knew, but simply nodded and took of his headset. "Nice to meet ya, I'm Akihiko Sanada, a senior in the same class as you, and leader of the boxing team."

"Minato Arisato. Nice to meet you Akihiko-san." Minato said before extending his hand. Akihiko smiled before shaking it, and prompting his attention towards the stand in front of the audience.

"Mitsuru-san will be giving a speech after the principal, so pay attention for that. Also—"Akihiko started before he was rudely interrupted by a student sitting in front of them.

"Hey kid! I saw you walked to school with Yukari-san! D-do you know if she's dating anybody?" Minato glanced towards Akihiko for advice, but he simply seemed to be watching with an expression of amusement, given his wry smile. Minato simply sighed before responding.

"I have no idea."

The kid scoffed rudely. "Of course you wouldn't. A shame, really." Akihiko's previous expression melted away, as he looked like he was ready to throttle the child.

"Quiet down, you will get us all in trouble!" Ms. Toriumi called from the sidelines. The kid quickly locked back into his seat and looked towards the stand as a large, heavy man walked on-stage.

"As you know, our school has a proverb it's been following since its creation…" The principle started to ramble on. Minato found this to be a perfect time to catch up on that lost sleep, and slowly drifted away.

* * *

Late Morning…

"Today we will be getting a new student in our homeroom. Minato, introduce yourself to the class and find a place to sit."

"Minato Arisato. Senior year." He introduced himself, before looking for a spot to sit down. Mitsuru smiled at him, and took it as an invitation to sit next to her, and in front of Akihiko. Akihiko didn't seem to mind, simply shooting him a thumbs-up. The other students in the class though, seem to be in a state of shock as whispers seem to emanate from every student.

"Wasn't he walking with Yukari-chan to school today? What's with him?"

"Not only that, but Mitsuru-san SMILED at him! How is he familiar with her already?!"

"Akihiko-sama seemed to even be happy he's near him! Damn him, we follow Akihiko-sama all day and he doesn't even glance our way!"

Minato looked towards Akihiko in confusion as Ms. Toriumi attempted to quell the musings of the class. "Looks like the rumors are already starting. Good luck keeping up with all of them." Akihiko smirked. Minato gave a small smirk back, which Akihiko took with pride, as he hadn't seen much emotion from the bluenette otherwise.

"Be sure to pay attention during these lectures, otherwise another execution will be in order." Mitsuru stated rather loudly, which stopped the class dead-cold. Minato simply yawned and nodded, before opening a notebook and looking towards Ms. Toriumi. Mitsuru gave an amused expression at his nonchalance before following suit.

* * *

After school…

Minato sighed as he packed up his materials and headed for the door. Class was uneventful, as they started a new unit, and thus was mainly introductions. Minato was about to reach for the door when it swung open to reveal a kid with a cocky grin and baseball cap accompanied by the school uniform. He was just slightly shorter than Minato, most likely an inch.

"'Sup dude?" He greeted with goofy grin as he got up into Minato's face. "How's it hanging?"

"Personal space."

Seemingly unfazed by the less than stellar response, he continued. "I'm Junpei Iori, nice to meet ya! I transferred here about 3 years ago, so I know being the new guy can be overwhelming. I decided to come on over despite that and say "hi!" see what a nice guy I am?" he boasted despite having little impact on Minato's day other than a slightly amusing distraction.

 _"He seems to think he's impressive."_ The voice in Minato's head said with a small chuckle.

Yukari walked up behind Junpei and sighed. Hearing this, Junpei turned around a smiled stupidly. "Hey, Yuka-tan! Once again we're in the same class, funny huh?" She could only sigh at his antics.

"Why are you bothering the new kid? You will talk to anybody if they can hear you ramble, won't you Junpei?" Junpei simply scoffed and cross his arms. Yukari sighed again.

 _"Methinks the cute girl has a less-than-stellar opinion of our little jester here."_ The Voice mused. "Quiet, you." Minato thought back, albeit chocking back a laugh.

"Anyway, you seem to be in the same homeroom as Mitsuru-senpai, pretty cool huh?"

"Must be fate." Yukari raised an eyebrow at that comment, before seeing the small smile placed on his face. Sure she hadn't seen much emotion from the boy, and it was nice to see something other than a blank expression, but giving Junpei ideas wasn't anything she was interested in, so she opted for a sigh and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So," Junpei interjected. "I heard you two walked to school together! What's going on? C'mon, give me the dirt!"

"W-what?! We live in the same dorm, Stupei, nothing is going on between us." She yelled angrily. "Also," she started softening her voice. "Don't tell anyone about last night, alright? We don't want anyone starting rumors."

"L-last night…!?" Junpei looked to be in utter shock as his eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Yukari, realizing what she just said, turned bright red before smacking Junpei and yelling "G-Get your mind out of the gutter! I have Archery club, so I'll see you later Minato-senpai." She started to leave before glaring back at Junpei. "Start any rumors, and I'll make sure you pay." And with that, she left the room.

Junpei was still in utter shock (more from her words and less from the smack), when Minato got up and left the room. "H-hey, wait! Tell me what went on!"

* * *

Minato walked out of the school and pondered his next course of action. He had some time before he had to return to the dorm after all. The question remained: what to do? He had heard there was a mall around the area thanks to Yukari…

 _"I heard a few kids gossiping about an arcade near Paulownia Mall. I advise taking the bullet train and attending it."_ The Voice offered. Minato nodded as a response and headed towards the tracks.

* * *

Paulownia Mall...

"Quite a few shops here…" Minato mused as he pondered what shop to attend. The arcade was seemingly closed for repairs, and the Club available was only open much later, so he had to go for an alternative. That is, until he spotted a glowing blue door down quite a way away. It seemed that no one else noticed it, as several patrons walked right by it, talking as animatedly as before. He shrugged and walked towards it. He reached towards the handle and pulled, but the door seemed to be locked. He was about to turn away, when his vision was engulfed in a bright blue light. He had trouble adjusting his eyes to this, and ended up rubbing them so he could reorient himself.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, dear guest." Minato noticed the unfamiliar voice and finally focused his vision to find himself in a large elevator, with almost every accommodation of the room covered in a velvet coloring. He was now sitting in a brown chair (a stark contrast to the rest of the room) while a short man with an exceedingly large nose in a black suit sat on a velvet couch in front of him. Next to him stood a fairly tall white-haired woman in a blue elevator attendant uniform holding a large book with several markings on the front. They both seemed to be smiling broadly.

"My name is Igor, I am delighted to make your acquaintance." Long-nose started. "This is Elizabeth, she is a resident in this room, just like myself."

"Welcome!" She smiled and waved. Minato could only wave back in the astonishing turn of events.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Sad for us, it's been years since we've had a guest!" Igor reached into his suit and pulled out the contract Minato had signed previously. Minato's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Only those who have signed our contract can enter this room, and henceforth shall be welcome here anytime you wish. After all, you are destined to hone your unique ability, and it's the will of Philemon that I help you."

"Not sure what reason I'd have to come here." Minato replied honestly, eliciting a laugh from Igor.

"You will in due time, do not worry. Visit us if you have any questions. For now though, it seems its getting dark in your world, you should probably return. Just take the door behind you to exit, and sorry for the crude introductions. All will be revealed in due time."

Minato motioned towards the door and pulled it open, followed by another flash of light blue light. Minato readjusted much faster to the blinding light this time, and noted he's exactly where he left previously, although it was much darker out. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was about time to head back to the dorm. Shrugging at the odd turn of events, he walked back towards the dorm.

* * *

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted as Minato closed the double doors behind him.

"Hey Minato, do you have any notes I could look at from Mr. Edogawa's lesson today? I had my head in the clouds a bit thinking about the boxing meetings starting soon, and missed most of the lecture."

"Ah, sure." Minato agreed. He reached into his bag, a small blue sack he carried around with him daily during school. He produced a standard blue notebook and plopped it down lazily on the desk in between the couches. Mitsuru and Akihiko's eyes bulged at what was on the paper. Not only was there every formula and example Mr. Edogawa gave during the lecture neatly aligned on the page, but direct quotes from him used to relate back to the subject matter. Along with that were several example of how each formula could be used to produce a favorable outcome within a career field to further better someone's understanding. Along with that were shortened, easier versions of each formula given, neatly displaying how they can achieve a similar goal in record time. Akihiko's jaw dropped at the sight, while Mitsuru could only glance at Minato in a mix of confusion and awe. Everything was perfectly aligned and symmetrical despite the abundance of notes.

"How did you…" was all Akihiko managed to mutter after seeing his notebook, and this was after one day of class!

"A-Arisato, what exactly was your grades in your previous year?" Mitsuru squeaked out.

"All A's. I would have perfected a few classes had I not been working a job at the time as well. I plan on attempting to get a job at either the café or the club in the mall as well, but I will still attempt to do what I can for my classes." Minato stated nonchalantly. He then walked lazily towards the counter looking for some food available.

"I think he might give you a run for your money, Mitsuru…Mitsuru?" Akihiko prompted, before looking over at her, and noticing steam slowly rising from her ears and hiding behind her bangs.

"M-my notes are never this crisp…"

The door in the front of the lounge opened as a tall man with long, brown swept hair in a beige suit entered. "My my, it seems our temporary guest has arrived." Minato recognized the prompt, and looked away from the counter. I'm Shuji Ikutsuki, the Chairman of the Board at your school. Ikutsuki, hard to pronounce, isn't it? It's my name, and even I get tongue-tied half the time. Your new rooming may take a bit, so I'd thought I would come down and introduce myself."

Minato nodded, noting the similar introductions he and Iori had made. "It's no trouble, I've had a fine time adjusting." Ikutsuki smiled.

"Excellent. I recommend you head to bed early though, classes must be long, hm? Ah yes, Mitsuru, I came to…Mitsuru?" Ikutsuki had shifted his attention towards her, noticing her predicament, as she hadn't moved since looking at Minato's notes. He only gave a smirk in amusement at the whole conundrum. "Well then, I'll be upstairs on floor four in the meeting room when you are ready, Mitsuru." The man finished and walked up the stairs.

Minato yawned and excused himself, stating Akihiko could return the notebook after he was finished, and if needed, tomorrow in class. His two classmates hadn't moved despite what he said, so he just started towards his room to end his day.

* * *

"Is he asleep yet, Mitsuru?"

"Yes, but he hasn't transmogrified into a coffin, so it's safe to assume he has the potential."

"Not entirely true just based on that, since I can stay awake during the dark hour without a Persona, but if he didn't have the potential, they would have most likely preyed on him by now. Regardless, let's monitor him for a few more days just to be sure."

"Yes, Sir."

"I feel bad for him though, he did help me with those notes after all. It feels sorta wrong spying on him."

"You shouldn't feel bad, that man is not normal, and neither were his notes…"

"*chuckle* Yes well, you seem to have a harder time coming to terms with that than I have, Mitsuru-san."

"Are we in needing of an execution to remind you of your position?"

"N-no…"

* * *

April 9th, 2009, Morning...

Minato walked to class once again wearing his signature headset, when he spotted Mitsuru quickly flipping through her phone. Noticing Minato's presence, she closed it and smiled.

"Ah, Arisato. Good to see you attending on time. Akihiko has had such troubles in the past, although he bore an excuse called a "training regime". Minato smirked slightly and chuckled, causing Mitsuru's grin to grow wider. While the reasoning was unknown to everyone, seeing the usually blank expression of his turn into something of happiness made them swell with pride, even if it did fade as fast as it came. "Well then, here's your notebook back. Let us get through today's lesson. Afterwards, I have a favor to ask you." Minato nodded as he receive his notebook.

* * *

After School…

Minato yawned as he got up out of his seat. Mitsuru approached him, having already packed up her belongings.

"Arisato, may I have a moment?" He nodded in response. "Good. I would like to ask you to join the Student Council, if you don't mind. You currently haven't been introduced to any extra-curricular activities, and while your academics are…more than surprising, it is still recommended by the student board that you have at least one weekly activity."

"Fine with me." Minato responded. "I was also planning to join the boxing team once practices start up, and I needed something other than the job I'm attempting to get to supplement my time."

Mitsuru nodded in satisfaction. "While student council hasn't started its meetings for this year, I will make sure you secure a spot, since I am in charge of it all."

"How does that not surprise me?" Minato pondered aloud with a slightly-larger smirk. Mitsuru responded with a chuckle and left through the door of the class. Minato's face instantly contorted into a frown.

 _"Just because you are afraid of losing them doesn't mean you have to shut yourself out, you know."_ The voice in his head said with a gentle tone. Minato sighed and shook his head.

"But how long will they last? I've moved more times than I care to admit, every one of them left behind, and I'm at the place that started it all…"

 _"Keep them close. The closer they are, the easier it is to keep an eye on them. You may not have been able to protect…them, but you can certainly do your best to protect these ones."_

Minato mulled over his words as his expression sobered. He decided he would head straight to the dorm today, and simply spend his time reading.

* * *

The Dark Hour…

Ikutsuki, Yukari, and Mitsuru were in the meeting room on the 4th floor, sitting in front of a large, active computer screen which displayed Minato sleeping soundly.

"So you are saying he's completely stable, Mitsuru?"

"Yes Chairman, he is the same as last night. He has not exhibited the same symptoms as everyone else, not even slight disorientation."

"Interesting, he seems to be quite the unusual one."

"I feel bad though, treating him like a guinea pig. How will we react to us telling him we were spying on him sleeping?"

"All will be revealed to him in due time, Yukari. And if he turns out not to have any potential, he will be getting a new room assignment soon, and he wouldn't know a thing either way."

Yukari shuddered at her words, thinking them cold. She was about to retort when a loud sound came over their transceiver.

"Guys, respond quickly!" Mitsuru rushed over to the transceiver on the screen and picked up the signal.

"Akihiko, is everything all right?!"

"You are not going to believe this, it is huge! I can't talk, it's chasing me, and I need back up. I'm bringing it to you guys, get ready!" Akihiko said with a rush, and the signal stopped.

"He's bringing one of them here?!" Yukari echoed, frightened by the prospect.

"Chairman, stay here and be sure to stay safe. Yukari, follow me to meet Akihiko by the door!" Yukari and Mitsuru rushed out without a word from the chairman, albeit Yukari seemed reluctant to move from the safety of the board room.

Akihiko slammed the double doors shut and slumped down heavily, grasping at his wounded right arm.

"Akihiko!" Yukari yelled worriedly as she rushed down the stairs with Mitsuru.

"Akihiko, you're wounded!"

"I-it's nothing." Akihiko responded as he held a gun to his head before shouting. "Polydeuces!" Akihiko pulled the trigger as a large, oddly built man with red pointed shoes, blue skin with silver bands lining his body, a needle for an arm, and flowing blonde hair from a small head protruding from behind a bullet-proof vest suddenly stood behind Akihiko. "Dia." He motioned, as Polydeuces raised its arms. Akihiko was surrounded in a veil of green light, and stood up without help.

"We will get you thoroughly checked out after this issue." Mitsuru said, pulling out her gun. "Yukari, you have your Evoker with you?"

"Y-yes I do."

"Good, wake up Arisato and get him to safety, it is your job to guard him. Akihiko and I will handle the shadow."

"R-right!"

* * *

Minato awoke, slightly annoyed by the loud noises coming from downstairs. He decide to put on his uniform and head towards the door, but the door slammed open before he could do so, revealing Yukari with a worried expression.

"Change of plans! No time to explain, we have to get to safety!" Yukari motioned out the door, but was stopped as the building shook violently. Yukari shrieked and fell to the ground, while Minato stood non-too-perturbed.

"We need to head to the roof." Minato's voice was firm. Yukari looked up from her position of the floor to see Minato had grabbed the Long sword sitting above his bed, the blade clean and sharp. Yukari, debating whether to be proud her prediction the day previous was correct or slightly disturbed at him being so at-the-ready.

* * *

"Penthesilea!" Mitsuru shouted, pulling her Evoker to the side of her head and pulling the trigger. A large, female knight wielding a rapier and a standard longsword in each hand appeared behind her. Penthesilea fired a blast of ice from its rapier at the incoming Cowardly Maya, a small black puddle with 2 hands and a blue mask for a face. The blast did little impact to the Maya before it launched its own attack. It dashed at Mitsuru, who was still recovering from the recoil of her Evoker. She attempted to dodge out of the way as the Maya slashed at her, barely avoiding the attack aimed at her chest. The Maya redirected, and grazed her arm, causing Mitsuru to recoil.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko shouted, rushing over to the cowardly Maya and landing a solid jab to its mask, shattering it and causing the Maya to disintegrate. "Zio!" he shouted, summoning Polydeuces and zapping the last Cowardly Maya with a lightning bolt, destroying it.

"That's the last of them. Akihiko, are there any more shadows left?" Mitsuru asked, having healed herself with a Dia spell.

"These shadows aren't the ones I fought, the one chasing me was much bigger…"Akihiko noted. Mitsuru's eyes widened as she grabbed her phone and called Yukari. "Takeba!"

 _"Y-yes Mitsuru-senpai?"_

"The Shadows we've faced weren't among the larger shadow, be careful!"

 _"Got it!"_

* * *

Yukari shut the steel door behind them and locked it as they reached the roof. She sighed in relief before turning to Minato.

"We should be safe here for now...! What is that?" Yukari asked, covering her mouth in horror. Minato looked behind him to see several black, shadowy hands grasping at the railing of the roof. Slowly, a shadow with a larger blue mask popped its head over the railing, and turned its attention towards Yukari. More hands sprouted behind it, each holding an extremely large sword, and dashed towards her. Yukari pulled her Evoker to her head, and attempted to fire, but the shadow knocked her into the wall before she could summon her Persona.

The world around Minato slowed as the Evoker dropped in a pool of blood in front of him. He watched it drop there, as the voice in his head guided him.

 _"Young Master, I have a feeling you know what to do."_

"I don't know who you are, especially calling me "Young Master", but answer your own question." Minato responded aloud, grinning. He bent down and grasped the Evoker, quickly pulling it to his head. He started to hyperventilate, before steadying his breath, and grinning larger than Yukari had ever seen someone smile.

"Per…So…Na!" Minato looked up and pulled the trigger, the sound of glass shattering ringing in his ears. Behind him, his persona began to materialize. Its face was pure black with red eyes, accompanied by long white hair draping over its right eye. Its arms, body, and legs seemed to be mechanical, and it was holding a large harp against its back.

 **"Thou art I…And I am thou…From the sea of thy soul I cometh…I am Orpheus, master of strings…"** Orpheus said ominously, before his body started to shake. **"Y-young master…!"** was all Orpheus was able to say before his body erupted, revealing another Persona wearing a black and red trench coat, a metal face held together by chains, and coffins lining its back. It held two extremely large swords in each hand, and roared as it materialized, shaking the building. It rushed over to the large shadow, cutting it in half before stomping on it several times. The shadow screeched in pain, as the large Persona grasped the mask of the shadow. The Persona roared in the face of the shadow, before crushing the mask ruthlessly. It then trained its eyes on Yukari, who watched on in a mix of confusion and fear. The persona roared once more, before its body shook, transforming instantly back into Orpheus, who slowly disappeared behind Minato.

* * *

"What was that?" Akihiko asked in confusion, and looked towards Mitsuru for guidance. She looked to be just as confused as him, at a loss for words. Ikutsuki seemed to be at just as large of a loss, his face a mix of awe and confusion.

"Well, it's safe to say he has the potential, and a bit too much of it…" Ikutsuki stated.

"We will need to talk to him about keeping his room arrangement should be agree to join SEES." Mitsuru confirmed. She looked back towards the screen to see Yukari over a collapsed Minato, most likely passed out from the exertion of power. "Let's get him to the hospital."

* * *

Minato opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the light in front of him, as the familiar noise of an elevator rung in his ears. He was once again sitting in the Velvet Room, Igor in the same position as he was previously. He seemed to be smiling much broader than before.

"Welcome back." He smiled. "You seem to have passed out after awakening to your new "power". You are still very much alive, so just relax." He said flippantly. Elizabeth seemed to notice the look of confusion on his face, and giggled.

"Orpheus was the one who heeded your call, him being your Persona. A Persona is a facet of your psyche and personality. It surfaces once you react to certain external stimuli, and it seems that small gun you put towards your head did just the trick. Think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave your new adventure."

"That being said, your power is still weak." Igor interrupted. Noticing the narrowing of Minato's eyes, he laughed before continuing. "For you to begin empowering your Persona, you must create social links, this being done by helping those important to you. Start with your group of friends as an example, I guarantee they will be important figures in your life from now on. Anyway, time marches on in your world, so we shouldn't keep you any longer. Next time you come here, it will once again be on your own accord. Until then…" Minato's vision began to fade once more, as he passed out before being able to ask any questions.

* * *

April 17th, 2009. After School…

"Mitsuru-senpai, he's finally coming too!"

"Oh thank goodness…"

Minato opened his eyes slowly, attempting to adjust his eyes to the lighting for the third time in recent memory. "If I had 100 yen every time I needed to do this…" he rambled.

"It's about time you woke up, Minato-senpai." Yukari said, relief evident in her tone. "After your…display, you passed out."

"The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you." Mitsuru piped up. "All he said was you were exhausted, but you hadn't woken up at all in the past week."

"Wait…a week? I've missed way too many classes…" Minato groaned. "What exactly did I do on the roof?" Yukari looked towards Mitsuru for confirmation, and Mitsuru nodded.

"You awakened to your Persona. A Persona is—"

"A facet of my personality and psyche, I got it." Minato waved her off, surprising her. "Let's just say long-nose decided to give me all the details already."

"A-alright, although we don't know who this "long-nose" is." Yukari stopped and looked away, biting her lip. "You had me worried, ya know. You saved my life, so I took it upon myself to make sure to check up on you. Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai would also come pretty often to check up on you, but every time I came you were still sleeping, you know how worried I was?"

Minato chuckled softly before groaning in pain again. "Well I can imagine the obligations coming with saving someone's life…"

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you. I was supposed to protect you, but you ended up doing all the heavy lifting…" Minato waved her off before yawning.

"Its fine, I wasn't counting on you anyway." He said flippantly. Yukari puffed up her cheeks in frustration as Mitsuru started giggling.

"What do you mean? Ugh, you sure know how to make a girl angry…"

Just then, a small tune started to ring throughout the room. It sounded expertly played, but no one could pinpoint where it was coming from, as it seemed to radiate around the room. The tune slowly faded, as its source centralized above Minato. Materializing out of thin air, Orpheus was sitting on the metal bar of the bed above Minato's head, gently playing the tune. Yukari and Mitsuru were dumbfounded to see his Persona without the use of an Evoker, as Orpheus stopped playing and gave a polite bow.

 **"Thank you for caring for the Young Master during his recuperation. I have been guiding him for 10 years now, and your Evoker, as you called it, was finally able to help me guide the Young Master and protect him. Doubtful he will need it from here, I will make sure to keep him safeguarded."** Orpheus bowed once more, gesturing towards Mitsuru and Yukari.

"How are you talking to us, let alone outside of Minato? It's neither the Dark Hour, nor did he use an Evoker!" Mitsuru got up, demanding answers. Minato could only chuckle at the display in front of him.

"Well he is a facet of my psyche, and I've been experiencing the Dark Hour for 10 years, since this guy started guiding me as just a voice in my head." Minato explained, causing Mitsuru to blanch.

"T-ten years?! You have been in contact with your persona for ten years?" Mitsuru asked, dumbfounded by the revelation.

 **"Yes, I have been guiding the Young Master ever since…"** Orpheus stopped and looked towards Minato, who grimaced. Yukari flinched at the mention of the accident, and decided to get something off her chest.

"We…Mitsuru-senpai, Ikutsuki-san, and I…we've read your record. We know the event that transpired ten years ago on the moonlight bridge..." she said solemnly. She gave him a look of pity, which Minato had to resist the urge to spit back. Oh how he hated that look…

"So you've taken a look at my records." He sighed. "That's fine with me, just get rid of that look on your face." Yukari flinched, and apologized.

"If it's any consolation, I'm a lot like you." Yukari said. Minato gave her a look of confusion.

"Takeba…"

"No, it's not right for us to look at his records and give him nothing in return." She shook her head. "My father died in an accident when I was little, and my mother and I aren't exactly on good terms due to her…poor actions after his death. It was back in '99, as a research lab in the area exploded. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened…He was working on a research project for the "Kirijo Group, so I'm hoping to find something if I stick around long enough." She explained. Mitsuru seemed to look uncomfortable at the mention of her families' name, and started rubbing her left arm in anxiety.

 **"My condolences, Lady Takeba."** Orpheus said, rising a blush from Yukari, unused to his formalities. **"Lady Kirijo, I ask kindly of you to explain the rest of the details to the Young Master tomorrow. As you noted, Sir Ikutsuki seems to be cooperating with you, and it would be proper for all of your group to be present for the full explanation."**

"Yes, Orpheus." Mitsuru responded formally, despite being unused to talking to Personas. "On the 4th floor of the dorm is the meeting room. After school tomorrow, be sure to meet us there in the evening. Akihiko will supply you with the notes you need since you missed quite a few days, though judging from your previous notes, you shouldn't have all too much trouble."

"Right." Minato nodded. Mitsuru and Yukari left, closing the door behind them. Orpheus floated down to the seat Yukari had occupied next to Minato's bed, and crossed his robotic legs.

 **"I apologize for being unable to assist you much more actively throughout these last ten years."** Orpheus apologized.

"Don't sweat it, you still saved me from those beasts, and that's more than enough to make up for it. Besides, you've been guiding me despite all of that."

 **"Indeed I have."** Orpheus repeated. **"I will do the best of my ability to protect you, Young Master."** Minato laughed.

"Speaking of abilities, what are you able to do?"

 **"I currently have Agi, a fire spell, and Tarunda, which will weaken any shadow."** Minato nodded.

"So those monsters…they are called shadows?"

 **"I assume your friends will explain it to you in due time."** Minato's face contorted into a frown, and looked crestfallen at the mention of his friends. Orpheus could only sigh at the sight of his "Young Master" in front of him. **"As I said previously, keep them close. Young Master, I know you fear they will suffer the same fate as…those previous, but you now have more power than ever before. If they fall from grace as he once did, save them. Lift them up, and make sure they don't follow that path."** Minato looked up to see Orpheus slowly stringing his harp, attempting to sooth him. Minato fell asleep, preparing for the next day.

* * *

Next Day, Early Morning…

"Ah, Arisato, good to see you." Mitsuru smiled. It's true, he came back to the dorm as soon as he could and started studying and catching up on what he missed.

"Well if I hadn't, you would have executed me." Minato smirked. Mitsuru's smile grew wider. Ever since the large shadow was defeated, Minato seemed livelier, even if it was only a tad. "Should we head straight back to the dorm after class today to discuss everything? You could possibly ask Orpheus for some answers as well, though I doubt he will know anything more than us."

"Yes, that would be helpful, yet how you summon a persona, and talk to him for that matter is beyond us…" Minato shrugged in response, having as little answers as she did.

"Yes, and fighting shadows in a hidden hour of the day where everyone turns to coffins and blood pours out of every crevice is anything to consider "normal."" Minato jested, eliciting a laugh from Mitsuru.

"Yes, well, I suppose you do have a point."

After School…

Minato walked towards the fourth floor, hands in his pockets as per usual.

"Ah, you're here!" Yukari said as he finished scaling the stairs. "In here." She motioned towards the door.

Minato opened the door to see Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Ikutsuki sitting around a large, hollow table. Yukari took a seat on the other side of the couch where Mitsuru was sitting, and Minato took a seat in between them.

"So, you are all here now." Ikutsuki started. "Now, if you don't mind me starting with a question, would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" To his surprise, Minato started laughing, and nodded.

"Ten years." He stated simply, causing Ikutsuki and Akihiko's jaws to drop.

"Not only that," Mitsuru started. "But he has been in contact with his Persona for ten years as well. It has been guiding him as a voice in his head, so to speak."

Before Ikutsuki could respond, Orpheus popped out behind Minato and bowed once more. Their jaws seem to be attached by a loose hinge at this point.

 **"As I have stated previously to Lady Kirijo and Takeba, I have guided the Young Master since the Dark Hour was visible to him."**

"How did your persona awaken without an Evoker?!" Akihiko asked, regaining his original composure.

"Well, it wasn't that simple. I had to use the Evoker to summon him the first time, but other than that he seems perfectly content to appear on his own and converse." Minato stated.

 **"I shouldn't be the only one."** Orpheus stated, eliciting looks of confusion amongst the rest of the group. **"Another should have shown himself by no—ah, he appears now, tardy as ever."**

As Orpheus finished his sentence, a light enveloped above Minato's head. Forming from the light, a card fluttered down towards Minato's face, spinning slowly.

"That's the tarot card for the magician…" Ikutsuki stated, not quite sure what was going on. Words seem to ring in Minato's ears as he repeated what they said.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination." Minato reached out and crushed the tarot, shocking the rest of the room. Minato's head felt light for a moment, before recognizing a new voice in his head. Smiling, he extended a hand towards Mitsuru. "Mind if I borrow your Evoker?" She handed it to him, unsure of what he was doing. "Mind heading back Orpheus?"

 **"Of course, Young Master."** Orpheus faded out of existence after bowing once again. Minato steadied his breathing, and put the Evoker to his head.

 _"Jack Frost!"_ Minato shouted, pulling the trigger. The sound of glass shattering echoed around the room. Hovering just above the table, a small snowman appeared, wearing blue and yellow attire, along with an odd-shaped hat adorned with a smiley face. His face consisted of an extremely large smile accompanied by two small fangs protruding from the top, and large, oval-like eyes that seemed to be pure black. He spun around and saluted, turning his attention towards Minato.

 **"Hee ho, sorry I'm late, boss! Big boss decided to make me run a few errands first! Now I'm hee-here! I'm ready to ho-assist whenever necessary!"**

"Glad to know you're up for the job." Minato said nonchalantly.

"You have two Personas?" Akihiko asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, we did say he was an odd one…" Ikutsuki stated, putting a finger to his chin in thought. "Hopefully our little frosty friend here doesn't give us the cold shoulder." He laughed at his own joke, accompanied by groans from the rest of the group. Jack Frost seemed to enjoy it as well.

 **"Alrighty, call me when ya need me, boss! Heeeeeeeee ho!"** Jack Frost saluted once more and vanished.

"I'm unsure how to react to this new variable…" Mitsuru stated. "Although, this could prove to be in our favor."

"Yeah, our job is to defeat those shadows that come around and attempt to feed on anyone not in their coffins. We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short." Akihiko said.

"On paper we are a school club, but our real job…well, you already know." Ikutsuki said. "They feed on the minds of those who are vulnerable, and become mindless corpses basically. You know those afflicted with what the news is calling "apathy syndrome"? Those who are afflicted by apathy syndrome had their minds feasted upon by a shadow, and we are trying to get rid of the threat."

Minato took in all the information with a nod. "Well, I'm joining in on your little crusade I guess." Minato said, before looking towards Mitsuru with a smirk. "And you were worried about extracurricular credits."

She only smirked back at his cocky demeanor. "Yes, and if you survive this, I don't doubt everything will go swimmingly."

"Considering I have two Personas, I doubt I'll fall that easily, but I'll be careful."

"I guess you are staying at the dorm then." Yukari said, piping up for the first time since Jack Frost's attendance.

Minato's vision blurred, before the sound of glass shattering once again rung in his ears. All he could make out in front of him was a tarot card adorned with a man, a small dog, and the number 0 on the bottom.

 **Thou art I…**

 **And I am thou…**

 **Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to wield a Persona of the Fool Arcana…**

"So this is a social link…" Minato thought to himself.

"When using a Persona of that certain Arcana of which you have developed a strong bond in, your Persona will receive significant boosts, Young Master." Orpheus explained.

"Big buddy in here is part of the Fool Arcana, but I'm the Magician! Hee, you better power me up, you hear-ho!" Jack Frost yelled in his mind.

"I am not to be referred to as "big buddy" in front of the Young Master!" Orpheus yelled back.

"Whatever you say, big buddy! Hee ho!" Orpheus groaned, eliciting a small laugh from Minato.

"What's so funny Minato?" Yukari asked him. Indeed, it looks like no one could hear his Personas besides him, as everyone gave him a strange look.

"Just my Personas having an argument in my mind." Minato said flippantly.

"Your Personas are arguing? How odd…" Ikutsuki said, stifling a laugh.

* * *

The Dark hour…

"Hi, how are you?" Minato opened his eyes to see the mysterious boy sitting on his bed with a small smile on his face.

"How did you get in here?" The boy started to chuckle and answer ominously.

"I'm always with you...Soon the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you. The end of everything…but to be honest, I don't really know what that means." The small boy looked crestfallen. "Oh, looks like you've awakened your persona, and you seem to be unusual. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none…It may prove to be your salvation, should you make the right choices. Make sure to honor your commitment…See you later." The boy disappeared, leaving Minato questioning what he meant. He decided to shrug, and go back to sleep, he would talk to Orpheus about it tomorrow…


End file.
